pygettext3.4

pygettext3.4 [options] [inputfile ...]

-o FILE, --output=FILE
    Specify the output file name for the POT (Portable Object Template) file. The default is messages.pot.

-D DIR, --default-domain=DIR
    Set the output directory for the POT file. Often used to organize translation files by domain.

-k WORD, --keyword=WORD
    Specify keywords to look for to identify translatable strings. Default is '_'. Can be specified multiple times for different keywords (e.g., -k gettext -k ngettext).

-x FILE, --exclude-file=FILE
    Exclude files listed in the specified FILE from being parsed.

-X DIR, --exclude-dir=DIR
    Exclude directories matching the specified DIR pattern from being parsed.

-L LANG, --language=LANG
    Specify the programming language of the input files, typically 'python'.

-a, --extract-all
    Extract all strings from the source code, not just those explicitly marked for translation.

-n, --no-location
    Do not write the #: filename:lineno reference lines in the POT file.

-c COMMENTS, --add-comments=COMMENTS
    Add translator comments from code, typically using a specific prefix like TRANSLATORS:.

-v, --verbose
    Enable verbose output, providing more information during the extraction process.

-h, --help
    Display a help message and exit.

-V, --version
    Display version information and exit.

pygettext3.4 is a specialized Python script, typically found within a Python 3.4 environment, designed for internationalization (i18n) workflows. Its primary function is to parse Python source code files and identify all strings that have been marked for translation, commonly by wrapping them in functions like _() or gettext(). Upon execution, it generates a .pot (Portable Object Template) file. This template contains all the extracted strings along with their corresponding source file and line number references. The .pot file then serves as a standardized base for translators to create language-specific .po (Portable Object) files, which are subsequently compiled into binary .mo (Machine Object) files used by applications at runtime for displaying localized content. pygettext3.4 is an indispensable tool in the Python i18n ecosystem, streamlining the process of preparing applications for global audiences.

The name pygettext3.4 explicitly ties this utility to Python 3.4. While it functions similarly to generic pygettext, its use with code written for significantly newer Python versions might lead to syntax parsing errors or incomplete string extraction due to language feature changes. It strictly relies on strings being explicitly marked for translation; unmarked strings will not be extracted. For complex or large-scale projects, more comprehensive internationalization libraries like Babel might offer more robust features and better integration with other development tools.

pygettext3.4 plays a crucial role in the typical software internationalization (i18n) workflow:
1. Code Development: Developers write Python code, marking translatable strings (e.g., _("Hello")).
2. String Extraction: pygettext3.4 is run on the source files, generating a .pot (Portable Object Template) file containing all marked strings.
3. Translation: Translators use the .pot file as a template to create language-specific .po (Portable Object) files (e.g., es.po for Spanish).
4. Compilation: The .po files are compiled into binary .mo (Machine Object) files using msgfmt.
5. Runtime Localization: The Python application, using the gettext module, loads the appropriate .mo file at runtime to display translated messages based on the user's locale.

While xgettext (part of GNU gettext utilities) is a powerful, general-purpose tool capable of extracting strings from various programming languages, pygettext (and thus pygettext3.4) is specifically tailored for Python. This specialization often allows for better parsing and handling of Python-specific syntax, leading to more accurate string extraction from Python source files compared to configuring xgettext for Python, although xgettext is still highly capable when properly configured.

The pygettext.py script is an integral part of Python's standard library gettext module, providing a Python-specific solution for string extraction, complementing the broader GNU gettext toolkit. The existence of pygettext3.4 specifically indicates its distribution with Python 3.4, a common practice to ensure that utility scripts are compatible with the Python interpreter version they ship with. The underlying gettext framework itself has a rich history, originating from the GNU project in the late 1980s as a powerful and widely adopted standard for internationalization of software.

msgfmt(1), xgettext(1), msgmerge(1), gettext(1)